"He's very intelligent the way he presses and he's a team man," Mourinho said. "He had two big chances to score but he prefers not to risk, but played for the team. We can feel he's happy to be with us and we're very happy with it."

Mourinho's managerial style is built around a strong team ethic and he has regularly refused to play up the ability of individualists. Last season, he questioned midfielder Eden Hazard's commitment to the team following Chelsea's Champions League exit to Atletico Madrid.

Similarly, Mourinho launched a scathing attack on his strike force, claiming he possessed a team but no "real" striker as Fernando Torres, Romelu Lukaku, Samuel Eto'o and Demba Ba all struggled for form.